Devas

I was quite sure that i was the freak of my class.No girl spared me 'the
look'.My mom would always say,"Your the most beautiful girl on the earth."
I believed her.But then,why did i have to face such a hard time at school?
Was being beautiful so bad ?? I guess it was,because it sure as hell
made my self esteem take a free fall.It would,however,soar cautiously
Whenever,my relatives would come over at our small home.My school was a convent.My
graduation was in the year 1942,the world war was fresh.
I remember running down to home because we could hear loud noises of
airplanes,zooming in the skies above the old school building.The teachers hardly gave a clear announcement about the situation.It was our class teacher who said in a shaky voice,"Girl go home now and try not to
walk in the open fields on the way".The
girls were all scared and anxious.I started crying.There was hardly a friend whom i can talk to in hushed whispers and urgent tones on the way down from the school.I felt my cheeks getting cold and realised I'd been crying.
As I ran into the lane that led to our little house,I thought I
would be safe now.I sprinted across the wild lawns and opened the front door,ran past it and
quickly bolted it.I could hear my mother upstairs.One could always make out if someone was upstairs in our house..I quickly ran up,my
school bag still on my shoulders.
I realised she was in the attic.When i reached the top of the
landing,the door was wide open.Mother had been kneeling,her back toward
me.I didn't realise then she was sobbing.
"Mamma !"
She started and then quickly turned around,her face an ocean of emotions.
She broke into a smile-a worried,loving motherly smile.
"Natasha,Darling ! How did you come home ?"
"The sisters ran away !! and and-"
i started crying.I felt foolish to cry like that,now that i was with
my mother.
"What ?" her voice was a high pitch."How can they do that-? Oh Natty come
here,baby."
I ran into her arms.She hugged me tightly and broke down crying.She kissed
my face and held me for many long minutes.
"What's wrong mamma? Cheer up.We'll hide in the basement."

"Oh yes.We do not have time.Get the lamp and i'll get the food.Quick,honey!"
"Okay."
I ran out of the attic,my mother hurrying behind me.I ran to the cupboard
in the corridor on the first floor.I found the lamp.My mother was already in
the kitchen,grabbing food.As soon as she saw me in the kitchen door,she said
"Natty,could you get water from the-"
at once,several things happened.
The back door which was an exit from the kitchen burst open,the glass window
smashed as two bullets shot through it and struck my mother in her back and heart.
She screamed merely a second later,"Hide,Natty.I love you.Always.HIDE."
There was an old diary in her hand.She waved the diary in front of my face
and dumped it in the kitchen sink.Her eyes were wide with shock as she repeated
"Basement.NOW.GO !!"
I ran.I knew my mother wanted me to run and so i ran.I hid in the basement
for three days.I knew neither sleep nor hunger nor thirst.I only cried.
Not even for a moment did i dare to open the basement trapdoor.I could hear
vague voice at first.The words of atleast four rough soldiers.They talked for an hour
and
decided upon something.The last of the voices i heard was a loud,raucous baritone.
It spoke in English,"She's not here,you FOOL !"

Soon enough,as if the tragedies weren't enough,a huge explosion rocked the
earth above me.Dust,rubble and splinters fell down on and around me.The steel door

above me grew red hot after half an hour and started radiating heat in uncomfortable
amounts.I thanked God for the old blanket in the room and covered myself.
I was a wreck and i was sure i would die soon,for i'd not eaten,nor drunk
a single drop of water.I wished i would see my mother soon.I firmly believed
in my mother's concept of Heaven and I was quite sure I'd go there,right
in my mother's arms.
I remember the sheer pain as it didn't come to pass,my death,my meeting
with mother.It was 3 days since my mother had died and slowly,i stopped wishing
for death as the pain lessened.

I fell into sleep.I willed myself into sleep.I'd never felt
sleepy before that day and never felt so afterwards.But i could drop in
and out of conscious state of being by will.I longed for such a sleep,a dreamless
sleep,where the trauma couldn't affect me.

Waking up was always a trick.There were instances when i missed school because
i'd sleep two days together.My mother seemed hardly worried then and so i
used to think it was normal.

Now,When i woke up,the pain of my mother's
death was a low throb in my heart.As i recalled the ghastly events,the throb
grew by leaps and bounds and suddenly obliviated into a void.I didn't cry
anymore.I'd accepted my mothers death.I felt calmer,not satisfied,but still calmer than
i'd been.

As i began to get up,I gasped loudly.There were small holes in the trap door
that allowed rays of sunlight into the dark basement(the lamp had extinguished).
My body was lit dimly by the feeble light.I was looking down at the limbs of a
full grown woman! What had happened !? I was absolutely terrified.I tried to
think straight,but i couldn't come to any conclusion.I decided my eyes must've
been affected somehow.But my hands felt silky strands of hair.I grabbed some and pulled
them hard.
"Ow."
never pull your own hair.

I deliberated that it would be best to get out the trap door.The door seemed cool enough
to touch.
"just open the door." i murmured to myself.

The door,which was quite in my reach now that my head almost touched the ceiling,swung
outwards.It unsettled lot of dust and i had to close my eyes for a couple of seconds.
I knew it was too much of a coincidence for that to happen.But at that moment,i
considered some weird reason like stray air currents for the door
to open like that.It hardly mattered much to me then.Even so,i got out(i lined up
an old box below the trap opening and got out suprisingly easily.)

I looked around cautiously for any sentient being.In the process,i could see my old
house,or whatever was left of it.A ruined,blackened wall of 2 feet made a periphery
around me.Everything else was destroyed.There was not much ash and i made a subconscious
link to that and the fact that my body had grown.Time had passed,when i'd slept.A LOT.
My tshirt was too tight for me,so I'd wrapped myself in a blanket.The long skirt
that I'd worn when i was 14,was also too tight now.I took it off and stretched it's
length around my waist.It was now a short skirt.I thought i looked like a unscrupulous
woman,but i'd no choice.
I walked around the ruin.There was nothing familiar lying on the grass.Only stones
and bricks and rarely,burnt wood.
I squinted around.It was twilight.I could make out the forest to the north and houses
on the east and west.To the west was a road.It was black in colour opposed to the brown
roads i was used to.
There was only one other person in vicinity i knew.His name was Dereon and he was a German
blacksmith.He lived a couple of miles to the east.I started to walk down the road.The road
was deserted except for an occasional deer in the woods through which it lead.When I'd
walked for 10 minutes,I heard a rumbling noise.I'd seldom heard it ever before,like a
downplayed noise of an aircraft.I knew it from when the german soldiers would come,armed
and haughty,they would collect the food supplies and medical aid and wine and brandy
that Glasgow could provide.
The noise grew louder as the jeep appeared around the corner.I knew i was too late
to hide.
I decided it was too late to run for the woods.they would surely spot me.I decided to
play it cool.
The clatter of rough voice grew louder.I looked up as a pair of lights lit my
surrounding.They clatter died away and then a moment later,a couple of voice exclaimed
in German.
I looked up as the jeep came to a halt next to me.The guttural growl of the engine
continued,and i smiled weakly.
"what are you doing here,alone ??" a small,white man barked.I noticed that the soldiers
looked as if they were emaciated.They were poorly fed and looked unpleasant.I swallowed.
How can i flirt with such ugly men ? Wait,did i just think of flirting ??? I glanced down
a bit.I had huge bosoms.I'd never noticed before.Well,if it would get me out of
trouble,I'd do it.
"I'm on my way to a friend's."
"Are you one of THEM ?"
"Whom them ?"
"The spies who infiltrated the west border !"
"Um..no.I'm a native."
a person who had red eyes flung his hand in my direction,with a finger raised,
"She's got golden eyes !"
They immediately flashed their torchlights on me.
"Holy cow!"
"Come on ! grab her ! the Major's going to be thrilled.Maybe he'll reward us !"
I knew i couldn't run away.I simply got in the jeep cordially.Their breaths smelled
repuslively disgusting.Their body scents were no less.I covered my nose before i could
throw up.
They all eyed me.I felt sexual tension and i was scared that they may decide to take
advantage of my situation.I pushed away that thought,but it lingered at the back of my
mind.

It took us around half an hour to reach the camp,but i could've sweared it was more.
I jumped down from the jeep and waited at the back.Two soldiers held my arms as the
nothers
hurried down to the biggest tent in the camp.The camp was huge and had almost
a hundred tents.We were right up at the middle.A voice roared from inside,"Only two
men are holding her ???"
The tent door flapped open and a shape blurried out and stood 5 feet away from me in the
blink of an eye.I was a bit dazed by this.My eyes widened as i took in the appearance
of a tall,burly man.His complexion was the fairest I'd ever seen.Yet he didn't look pale
in the slightest.He had healthy amounts of red in his skin.He looked like how people
imagined gods to look.His face was still and grave.He stared at me as i saw shock
flit through his face.My own mouth was open,staring as i was at the sheer embodiment
of beauty.His army uniform made it all the more harder not to lose my demeanour.I licked
my upper lip unconsciously.He drew in a breath and asked in an authotritaive voice.The
voice was surreal-like a spell of magic.
"Where did you find her ?"
"Near Fernhestz Sir!She was walking east."
"Walking ?" he seemed a bit suprised.
"Yes Sir!"
he turned his gaze on me"What is your name,Lady ?"
"Natasha Demetri."
His eyes grew wide for a briefest moment.The soldiers seemed to miss this.They were
all staring lustily at me.
"Yermitz,I think you all are mistaken.."
"But,Major,Look at her skin !"
"Do not interrupt."
The man named Yermitz looked terrified and so did the others.This man-major must be tough.
Before my thoughts could wander he announced,
"Nevertheless,it's important that we-um-take care of this fair lady.Local skirmishes
have broken loose near this area and in east.I find it best not to allow you to
go alone.I deem it fit that you should stay in this camp for a while."
"Pardon me,Sir,but i have buisiness to attend to."
"It can surely wait." It was a statement.An order.This guy was used to throwing orders.
"Yernitz,take the lady to the tent behind mine.It houses the nurse."
to me,"I can only do so much.Bella,the nurse shall be kind enough to lend you some
dresses of her own" his mouth twitched in a faint smile.

Lebnitz was about to grab my arm when the major spoke again,"There is no need to touch
her.She is our guest and if i find a single immoral advance,I shall not pardon that
soldier."
"Yes Sir !! Right Sir." Lebnitz babbled and clumsily took his arm back to his sides.The
major turned and the soldiers saluted him.It seemed odd that nobody murmured ill things
about him even when he was out of earshot.
The soldiers led me to the nurses tent without any event.Bella,the nurse was a petite
and slightly plump woman with red hair.She smiled at me and nodded when Lebnitz repeated
the major's order.
"Ah-bless you Natasha-I am the only woman here in this camp.Only i know how much
I had to endure here."
"I won't be staying for long here."
She seemed a bit dissapointed but her spirits hardly dampened.She made me familiar
with the comfortably sized tent and intructed me about the safety while living in a tent.
I nodded.I hardly could catch her talking about a lot of wounded soldiers as my mind
wandered and settled upon the face of the major.His smile seemed dreamlike.A twitch on
his mouth and still,so beautiful.His eyes were blue,weren;t they? I thought i'd have
to see again.
"Two if them folks have such gashes as i've never even heard of before.One
of the soldiers have a couple of bones removed from their legs-like-"
"Bella ?"
"Yes ?"
"Who's the major ?"
Her voice lowered to a bare whisper,"We do not talk of him." and her eyes widened as if
to forbid more questions about him.
"What is his name ?"
"Jason.No one knows the Major's last name."
Her eyes were still wide and wary.
It looked as though this was as much as she could reveal about the major.I looked
around the room and found a red blanket on bella's bed.My mother had a woolen red blanket
too.It was the coziest thing I'd ever been in.Sudden realisation and rage welled up
within me.
"Did the soldiers from this camp attack Glasgow ?" I asked her.
She seemed distracted.After a brief moment,she answered,"No.This camp isn't
set up to attack the villages.This camp is a base for the supplies and medical
aid.I've never heard of villages being attacked before.Only when the villagers refuse
to pay tax do the soldiers use force.But I've never heard of deaths yet."
"Oh."
"Why do you ask ?"
but i was thinking.My village had farms.But the produce was minimal,barely enough for
the village.The village was only well known for it's school,blacksmithy,etc.We traded
for food from other towns,villages etc.I never recalled any kind of conflict or skirmishes
over food supplies with the army.
Then who set my house on fire ?? and that deep voice had shouted,"She's not here !"
They'd already killed my mother.Were they looking for me ? Yes,they were.And the Major-
Jason-was alarmed when he heard my surname.Was this a trap ? Or it'd be more
dangerous if i went east-to meet dereon.The people who killed my mother might still be
looking out for me somewhere there.But Jason seemed to know something about this.I
figured he must be laying a trap,keeping me here,until the killers came.No! my mind
refused this idea.But really,why would he keep me here ?
The skirmishes ! my heart yelled.Did he really want me to be safe.Yet,that warmed
me up a bit.But skepticism plagued my mind.Really ? How can i be so stupid ?
"Bella,I'm starving.Can you get me some food please ?" and some time to think clearly.
"Oh.Yes.I'm sorry.I'll be a minute."
I sprung up from the bed and started pacing the tent.It took me two minutes to decide that
i was in a trap.I quickly took a couple of clothes and a nurses' uniform from Bella's
cupboard and stuffed it under my mattress.Just as i was resetting my unsettled hair,bella
entered,"Here.It's not much-we're facing a shortage-but it's better than nothing."
"Yeah.Thanks." I smiled at her.
She was staring at me as i ate a loaf of bread and soup.
"You know when i saw you first,i thought it was the queen of England or something."
"Huh ?" i didn't know what to say.
"Yeah,well,i have never heard she was beutiful,but when i see you,you remind me
of royalty,like fictitious royalty-where the princesses are gorgeous and beautiful
and graceful.Of course,your attire gave you away.But i only noticed it a moment later."
"Thanks,i think."
She started humming some melody and turned away.Before she could open her cupboard
a shout from outside jolted her,"Bella,Fast ! Gregory is having a fit."
"Yes !" She shouted as she bolted for the flap in the tent.without any word to me,she
was out of my sight.
I pushed the tray of food away and grabbed the clothes underneath the mattress.I dressed
in trousers and a tshirt and stuffed the other two clothings in a small sack.Bella's
sack,i supposed.It had a red cross on it.
My eyes swept the tent without any reason and i let myself out of the tent flap.
"I should get to Dereon's." I murmured to myself.Murmuring to myself without reason was
a habit I'd picked from my mother.Now obviously i'd stopped this habit.
20 feet ahead of me was the Major-Jason's-tent.It was huge,towering above others.The
tent opening was on the other side,which i couldn't see.I imagined that
going in any another direction from whence i came would end up badly,since i didn't know
them.And east was ahead of me,beyond the major's tent.I ran.It took me 3 seconds to
reach the back of the large tent.I went around it on my right,running.I knew the
tent opening was just very close.I glanced on my right.The land had some tents strewn
here and there.I figured i would run to my right and go around the first tent,to the left
and again find the camp entrance from there.Just as i was about to change course,i
crashed into a burly man.He was definitely half a foot taller than me as my lips
pressed into his upper chest.His torso was bare and glistening in the sun.My skull
banged on his jaw and my chest collided with his mid riff,my left hand collided with his
crotch.
"Ow." I managed before i was held in a firm grasp.I looked up.It was Jason-the Major.
"Where are you off to,Ma'am."
"Nowhere.Just..I was Just finding a place to have a bath." I was absolutely terrified.
But now,I'm sure,my heart was thumping wildly because of some other reason too.I licked
my lips.They tasted salty.

"Natasha,you do not have to lie to me.The trackers are in England right now."
"What ?? What trackers?" but i already had a faint idea what-whom he was talking about.
"The people who burnt your house."
"How do you know ?" My suspiscions were coming true..
"We work for the same leader."
"Then YOU killed my mother." I seethed.
"What ? They killed your mother ?"
"Yes.Did you not know."
"Of course not ! They-well,we-are Never supposed to kill..."
"But they did and I am going to exact revenge-"
"You can't.The trackers are indestructible."
"I'll expose them."
"To whom ? Hitler supports them."
"But why would they attack villagers ?"
"It's not your mother Natasha,it was you they were after."
"Why ?"